The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-29
COLUMBIA CONDEMNS GEORGE.
Prof Dwight Boldly Denounces the
New Land Doctrine as Immoral.
WON the New York HernI

From the Ne,o York Herald
Prof. Theodore w. Dwight stood ON the
stage of the Metropolitan Opera House last
night and in ringing speech sweepingly
denounced the land doctrine of Henry
George and DR.. McGlynn 1t was the COM
mencement night of the Columbia College
Law School, and, as warden, he was adj
dressing 123 graduates, not to mention a
vast audience that filled every seat in the
great edifice. Behind him, in his official
robes and mortar board, was President
Barnard, of Columbia College. His speech
was received with terrific applause.
The lawyer" he said, lis to-day con-
fronted by most momentous and startling
question raised seriously for the first time in
thousands OF years-ls there any such thing
as Individual property, particularly proper
ty in land All of our predecessors have
been relieved from the discussion of this
question since the days of Abraham, who
bought piece of land for burial place in
the presence of the children of Heth and it
was made sure unto him for possession.
This means in our modern phrase that he
had it in fee simple.
From that day to the present moment
no one of Importance has denied the right of
private property in land. In particular, no
one until now has proposed to confscate it
after 1T has been acknowledged and incor-
porated with the most arduous labors and
hallowed by the most tender affections
known to the strength and the heart of man.
1T WOULD REVERSE CIVILIZATION.
"All this is left to the philosophers of our
day who have derived their capacity to at
tack the right of property from the leisure
and culture attainable by reason of its uni
versal recognition. Without it we would
return to the nomadic condition when each
man, clad in his sheepskin and leaning on
his staff, shivered as he watched the stars by
night and longed for the coming of the day
The men who now attack the right of prop
erty in land may mean well, but that is so
much the worse. The better their inten-
tons the greater the mischief
If it were known that they
had a bad intention good men would at
once forsake them. We can now see how
wise our forefathers We're when they wrote
over the face of their political constitution
the sacred and time-honored phrase that
private property shall not be taken even
for public use without just compensation ;
This grand idea they borrowed from Chris
tlanity and the Christian church as far
back as the days of Justinian. Itcannot be
Withdrawn from the United States consti-
tuition without the consent of three-fourths
of the States It can no more be withdrawn
indirectly than directly, as for example by
State can take an Immoral position on such
question as this at this stage of the worlds
civilization
Without property in land no man has
an assured birthplace or burial place. No
tree can be planted that he can call his own
nor any dwelling erected that can give him
shelter. There can be no churches but
State churches, no colleges or schools but
State colleges and State schools. When the
faf 70 oil Ior, oil
mentS what tempting prize that viii be
for some bold adventurer.
What is the law for! reply, to stand
like wall against the impending deluge,
and to insist at all times and against ali
corners upon the sacred right of property,
and to establish and faithfully administer
such laws as will assure to the laboring man
as well as TO the rich a share of that gift of
God which he gave to man, not to hold bv
any casual and wandering title but by that
fixed law which society establishes as most
likely to develop the individual man and to
make the State great and prosperous, at
once the symbol and promoter of civilized
justice.
THE LAND AGITATOR WILL PERISH
"Great fundamental facts will remain;
those who attack them will disappear with
out leaving trace. Great principles once
fixed in the minds of men never grow obso-
lete. They cannot be hurled from their
place by any man, no matter what may be
his popularity. Ina few years all that will
be left of the great agitator of to-day will
be few lines in biographical dictionary.
No priest of to-day viii for moment rival
in New York the great Savonarola of Flor
ence. The great historic church which seven
centuries ago caused the naughty Philip Au-
gustus of France, despot as he was to ac-
knowledge the sacredness of private proper
ty in land will know how to deal with its
froward children of the hour.
A QUESTION OF MORALITY
1T is a fragrant abuse of language to call
the pending question a political question-it
is great social and moral question. When
ones house is threatened with fire it is
scarcely political question to devise means
to protect and save itn